BCCI rejects MCA plea; IPL final to be played in Bangalore

IPL final will stay in Bangalore

The final of the seventh edition of the Indian Premier League will be played in Bangalore on June 1 despite the Mumbai Cricket Association’s plea to reinstate Wankhede as the host stadium for the final.

“The governing council considered the MCA’s request but decided to stick to the original decision to move the final from Mumbai to Bangalore,” BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel admitted while talking to ESPNcricinfo. “One of the main reasons is we don’t have time till Monday or Tuesday as a lot of preparations are needed to hold it.

The MCA had agreed to meet all demands of the IPL Governing Committee including the permission from the Mumbai police to allow people to burst fire crackers after 10 pm and the lifting of the ban imposed on actor and Kolkata Knight Riders’ owner Shah Rukh Khan in the Wankhede stadium.

MCA joint secretary Nitin Dalal said, “We had accepted all the demands. Sharad Pawar saheb would have got this permission this week,” said Dalal, who said he was not aware of the IPL GC’s decision to keep the final in Bangalore.”

“So far, the MCA hasn’t been informed anything officially. But if they (BCCI) have made the decision (to stick to Bangalore), then it’s absolutely disappointing both for the MCA and more importantly for the cricket fans of Mumbai. The MCA had assured the IPL of making all the necessary arrangements well in time for the final,” he added.

The IPL Governing Council had shifted the final from the Wankhede to Bangalore’s Chinnaswamy Stadium, even though the norm is to letting the home ground of the last champion team host the final.